Owen Rivera Talks New Christmas Single, His Voice And More

Gifted guitarist Owen Rivera has released his new Christmas single ‘I Fall In Love With Christmas’. As the big day gets closer, we felt that now was a great time to chat to him about the new single, his voice and more:

How do you balance covering classics like Dylan and the Red Hot Chili Peppers with creating your own material?

I started songwriting when I was about six years old just playing around and having fun with rhyming and drum beats. Then, when I was 8 years old I actually wrote and produced my first song ever with the amazing Kevin “KThrash” Gruft (who works now with Travis Barker and MGK to name a few). Such a great memory writing and recording and producing that first song ever with Kevin who has become such a great friend and mentor over the years. Maybe it would be fun to revisit and share that first track ever down the road…

What is your earliest musical memory?

I remember my very first show ever! I was 4 years old and I performed at the local library. I did a drum performance of “Back in Black” by AC/DC and sang “Dream On” by Aerosmith…love that memory!

Your new single ‘I Fall In Love With Christmas’ is out now. What was the inspiration/story behind the track?

It’s about remembering and celebrating all the good feelings that the holidays bring. Every year can bring us all highs and lows but the holidays can be a time we take a moment to reflect on and celebrate our good times and memories. This song was written to help us reflect and fall in love with Christmas every year over and over again.

Where did you record the track and who produced it?

The track was recorded and produced at Michael Lloyds (100+time Gold/Platinum Album Producer) private studio in Los Angeles. It was such a fun track to work on.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?

Yes! Trying to find the right guitar tone for the guitar solo was…a challenge hahaha. We must have gone through 20 plus plug ins and amplifiers combined. We used an old

VOX distortion pedal through a VOX AC 30 Amp and ended up breaking the pedal in the process. It took a while but we finally landed on a tone we loved.

The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?

The video was directed by Daniel Brea. Love working with Daniel and have had the pleasure of working with him on many projects now. You will be seeing more of mine and Daniels work together after the holidays. Can’t wait to share it. As for this video, the inspiration was to film a live performance of the song in a holiday studio setting and weave in some old nostalgic videos from my childhood during the holidays. Be sure to look for some holiday easter eggs from my childhood in the background.

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

My Music Man Mariposa guitar with Ernie Ball 10-46 gauge strings mainly did the trick. As mentioned above, I used an old VOX AC 30 with a little dirt to get that tone we were looking for (after many many tries and experiments and broken equipment). My SJC Drum kit I have used in all my recordings and have had since I was 8 years old came through as always with the drum sound we loved.

What does Christmas mean to you?

Very simply, Christmas is a time for me to create new memories and spend time with my family and friends. Every year now, I look forward to our trips together. We pick a new destination every year for an adventure together. Last year we drove across country here in the states from Los Angeles to New York to spend Christmas day in Times Square drinking hot chocolate and eating NY famous Joe’s Pizza. I wonder what it will be this year?

Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

This will be answered in 2025 so stay tuned! I only have a few releases right now but I have a ton of original music in Spanish and English ready for release in 2025!

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

To have entertained/connected with the audience and leave them wanting more…

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

Yep! For guitars, I love to use my Music Man Axis Super Sport for electric and my Orangewood with an LR Baggs pickup for acoustic. I also love to use a boost pedal, wah, delay, and a volume pedal when performing live.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

I was born in Southern California. The five words I would use to describe my hometown are…Diverse, Storied, Vibrant, Eclectic, and Fun…lots and lots of fun…

How do you look after your voice?

I try to challenge my voice every day by singing out of my comfort zone, practicing accents and doing tongue twisters. I also have a specific set of vocal warm ups I do EVERY day. I also drink lots of water and tea to help with recovery after every session. I am a Voice Actor in Hollywood too so my voice is everything to me!

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

I am a big fan of Hans Zimmer and Lin-Manuel Miranda and would love this opportunity some day! As for a specific novel I’m not sure…I think I would want it to be a Latin novel..one where I could really explore and celebrate my Puerto Rican/Latin roots and music.

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

I have many musical influences from Dylan to Chicago, Springsteen, Marley, Tom Petty, Crosby Stills and Nash, and Nat King Cole (I could go on and on). On the Latin side it’s Willie Colon, Santana, Celia Cruz and Victor Manuelle to name a few. As for my recommendations, that’s easy. They are also my favs and the biggest influences on me musically and that would be the crews from Stax Records and Hi Records from back in the day. Artists like William Bell, Mavis Staples, The Staple Singers, Bobby Blue Bland, Al Green, Otis Clay, Albert King and all the rest of the amazing artists from Stax and Hi Records.

Do you have any UK/European live dates planned for 2024/2025?

I do not at the moment but looking forward to getting out there in 2025!

Do you have any further music releases planned for the 2024/2025?

Yes! I have all my original music including my Latin music in Spanish ready to be released in 2025! It’s going to be a great year and I can’t wait to finally share it all!

What makes Owen Rivera happy and what makes you unhappy?

Easy…my mum, pops, brother and pups Kibo and Sumo make me so happy. I am blessed to have them all and cherish the time we spend together. I’m young, have my family and living my music dream…nothing to be unhappy about…